Egyptian Police torture and kill young man for trying to expose police corruption


WARNING GRAPHIC Khaled Said died after police dragged him out of an internet cafe in Alexandria on June 6 2010 — a fatality that has since become a lightning rod for human rights activists. Witnesses said two plainclothes police officers beat Said, 28, to death. Egyptian authorities said he died from asphyxiation after he swallowed a packet of drugs. A photograph of his pummeled face is on a Facebook page devoted to him. The circumstances behind Said’s death are unclear. Police say he was wanted for theft and weapons possession and that he resisted arrest. Supporters say he was targeted for trying to expose official corruption. The government says it is still investigating the death. ElBaradei visited Said’s family Friday to offer his condolences, went to Friday prayers at the Sidi Gaber mosque, and moved through the crowds of protesters as security forces stood guard at the demonstration. He told CNN that such a beating is a practice out of the Middle Ages. “I think the message should be clear,” said ElBaradei, making his most high-profile appearance since leaving the International Atomic Energy Agency. “This should be the last time we witness torture in Egypt.” Protesters carried posters; one read “Killed by Barbarians.” One opposition activist, Gamila Ismail, said police are “bold” and “brutal.” “They want to tame us and they want to get us used to torture, even in the streets, and shutting up.” One man, who identified himself as Sharif, told CNN, “I don’t want a